Card or paper holder.



W. H. BERNE.

CARD 0B PAPER HOLDER.

urmoumn FILED mm: 20, 1907.

911,287. Patented Feb. 2,1909.

WILLIAM H. BERNE, OF CHEVIOT, OHIO.

CARD OR PAPER HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

Application filed June 26, 1907. Serial No. 380,921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VVILLIAM H. BERNE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cheviot, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have .invented certain new and useful Improvements in Card or Paper Holders, of which the following is a specilication.

My invention relates to paper holding devices, the object being to provide a simple and convenient holder for separate pieces of paper or cards, and is especially adapted for holding cards for carrying in the pocket, such as business cards.

My invention consists in a channel shaped body, and a flat spring fastened near the middle of its length to one of the side members of the channel shaped body and adapted to bear with its ends toward the other side member of the channel shaped body, the two side members being held substantially rigid with respect to each other by the back member of said channel shaped body, whereby paper, cards or similar objects may be clamped between the end parts of the fiat spring and the side of the channel shaped body toward which they bear.

My invention also consists in the parts and in the details of construction and arrangement of parts as will hereinafter be more fully described and claimed.

In the drawing, which-serves to illustrate my invention: Figure 1 is a general perspective view of a card holder embodying my invention, the cover of same being represented as partially open. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the channel shaped body with I the flat spring secured in place therein; Fig.

3 is a bottom plan view, and Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the clip used to secure the fiat spring in place, and Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the flat spring. Fig. 7 is asection on a line corresponding to w-oa of Fig. 1, the covers, however, being represented as closed, and the holder having cards in place therein. Fig. 8 is a perspective view illustrating the first stage of the operation of placing a bunch of cards in the holder, and Fig. 9 is a perspective view illustrating the second stage of the operation.

As I prefer to embody my improved card and paper holder, I construct the channel shaped body 1 with the lower side member 2 and the upper side member 3 joined by the back member at so that the lower side member 2 is of considerably greater length, measuring from the back member 4, than is the upper side member 3. These side members of the body lie substantially parallel to each other and at right angles to the back member 4. The longer lower side member 2 is for the purpose of securing the body in a cover, the details of which will hereinafter be more fully described.

Near the middle of the lower side member 2 adjacent to the back member 4 and lying under the upper side member 3, two openings or slots 5 and 6 are provided in the lower side member 2, a slightly greater distance apart than the width of the flat spring 7 and a clip 8, having a transverse member 9 and downwardly extending members 10 and 11, passes over the fiat spring 7, and its downwardly extending members 10 and 11 pass through the slots 5 and 6, respectively, in the lower side member 2 of the channel shaped body, after which the parts of the downwardly extending members 10 and 11 of the clip 8 extending below the lower surface of the lower side member 2 are bent over toward each other and against said lower surface, so that the transverse member 9 of the clip 8 bears tightly against the flat spring 7 and holds it in position on the upper surface of the lower side member 2. At each side of the transverse part 9 of the clip 8, the flat spring 7 diverges upwardly from the surface of the lower side member 2 and bears with the parts near its ends against the lower surface of the upper side member 3 of the channel shaped body, this being the normal position of the spring 7 when nothing is inserted in the holder. The spring 7 is held by the clip 8 so that it is parallel to the length of the back member 4 and at a slight distance therefrom, while its length is approximately the same as the length of the upper side member 3, measured parallel to the back member 4. Near its ends this flat spring 7 is bent downward slightly so that it presents a convex upper surface to the lower surface of the upper side member 3, and these surfaces are preferably smooth to admit of the insertion of the objects to be held with a minimum of friction.

Vhen it is desired to insert the objects, such as the bunch of cards 12 illustrated in Fig. 8, a corner 13 of the hunch is inserted between the flat spring 7 and the upper side member 3, near the middle of the holder, over the clip 8, where the spring 7 is nor.- mally of sufficient distancefrom the upper side member 3 to allow the insertion to be made readily. The bunch of cards is then brought between the end part 14 of the spring 7 and the upper side member 3 by drawing the bunch laterally of the holder, which process is illustrated in F ig. 8. This depresses the part of the flat spring 7 on the side of the clip 8 adjacent to the end 14 by wedging the bunch of cards between the spring and the upper side member 3, and, of: course, causes the part 15 near the other end ofthe spring 7 to bear with greater force against the corresponding part of'the upper side member 3. To insert the bunch of cards between the end part 15 and the upper side member 3, the bunch is further drawn in the same direction laterally of the holder, at the same time forcing the other corner 16 between the spring 7 and the upper. side member 3, in the open middle part of the holder over the clip 8, the completion of which process is illustrated in Fig. 9 of the drawing. The third and last stage of the operation consists in slidingthe bunch of cards, with ther edges parallel to the back member 4, in toward the end part 15 of the flat spring 7, so that the corner 16 of the bunch of cards is wedged between this end part 15 and the upper side member 3. When the cards have been brought into this position, their edges will be to the inside of the edges of the lower and upper covers 17 andv 18, respectively, and when these covers are closed as is illustrated in Fig. 7, the bunch of cards in the holder will take the form of a book.

The lower and upper covers 17 and 18 are preferably of a somewhat flexible material, such as leather, or other substance used in the construction ofbook covers, and the lower cover 17 is so constructed that a pocket 19 is formed therein to receive the lower side member 2 of the channel shaped body 1. A recess 20 is provided in the middle part of the upper sideof the pocket to accommodate the clip 8 and the adjacent parts of the spring 7. The channel shaped body 1 is formed of steel or other rigid material, and preferably has its lower side member 2 glued or otherwise suitably fastened within the pocket 19.

My improved device is particularly adapted for holding business cards or other cards which must be carried and detached from the bunch singly, but it will be readily understood that it may be used for. any purposes where a simple and convenient holder is required for cards or papers. It will be found especially advantageous over devices heretofore provided for this purpose, in that it most readily permits of the removal of either the top card or paper of the bunch being held, or of the bottom card or paper, or of any intermediate card or paper with out changing the position of, or mutilating or soiling, any of the other cards or papers in the bunch. By embodying the covers with the holder to constitute a card ease, the cards may thus be kept clean and neat.

lVhile I have illustrated and described my device as being embodied in a card holder of the character most especially adapted for carrying in the pocket and for holding business cards, it will be readily understood that the minor details of construction, as well as the proportions of the device, may be varied to adapt it for other purposes. Therefore I do not wish to be. understood as limiting myself to the precise construction herein illus trated and described, but desire to make such modifications therein as may be necessary for adapting it for such different purposes, so far as such modifications do not depart from the scope and spirit of the following claims:

1. In a card or paper holder, a channel shaped body having side members held sub.- stantially rigid with respect to each other by a back member, and a flat spring extending substantially, parallel to the length of the back member, fastened near the middle of its length to one of the side members and bearing with its free ends toward the other side member whereby saidfree ends are. adapted to clamp the. cards or paper to be held against said latter side member, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. In. av card or paper. holder, a channel shaped body having side members held sub.- stantially rigid with respect to each other by a back member, said side members extend.- ing substantially at right angles to the back member and. one of the. side members being longer than the other, a flat spring fastened near the middle of its length to the longer side member and bearing. with its free ends toward the other. side member whereby said free ends are. adapted to clamp the cards or caper to be held against said latter side member, and a cover having a pocket in which the longer side member is inserted, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM H. BERNE. In presence of- ARTHUR. H. LAHKE, A. B. CHAMBERS. 

